This invention relates to a utensil for opening and removal of meat from crab legs or other types of shellfish. More particularly, this invention relates to a hand tool for severing the shell of a crab leg, lobster shell or the like.
Crabs, lobsters and other crustaceans are cooked in boiled water and often served in the shell. A person desiring the extract the meat of the crustacean must first crack the shell and then remove the meat for consumption. Conventionally, the diners use a pliers-type instrument that has a pair of lever arms joined pivotally at one end. A user places a leg of a crab or lobster between the lever arms and closes the lever arms, thereby crushing the shell. Since the crustacean shells have a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as the degree of brittleness, the shell and the meat are often crushed into small fragments that are not easy to separate. The user picks at the fragments, pulling small pieces of meat, which is frustrating and time-consuming.
An alternative is to use a fork for extracting the meat after the shell has been cracked, or even attempting to break the shell using the fork. This alternative is not very appealing since the sharp tines of the fork may pierce the user's shin if an excessive force is used on the crustacean's shell. In the case of snow crabs legs, the user may be further frustrated since the snow crab legs are relatively thin, soft when cooked and extracting meat from crushed legs is often difficult.
The present invention contemplates elimination of drawbacks associated with the prior art and provision of a hand-operated utensil that can open the shell of a crustacean without any substantial mechanical damage to the meat.